Four British legislators today pleaded not guilty to charges of false accounting over their parliamentary expenses.
The four are Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Jim Devine, who are Labour members of the lower House of Commons, and Paul White, known as Lord Hanningfield, a Conservative member of the upper House of Lords.
After a brief appearance at Westminster Magistrates' Court, a short distance from parliament, all four were released on unconditional bail and ordered to appear before a higher court on March 30th.
Appearing before City of Westminster magistrates’ court they told District Judge Timothy Workman they denied any wrongdoing.
Lord Hanningfield appeared before the magistrates immediately after the three MPs.
He said he would deny charges of wrongly claiming for “repayment of travelling and other expenses”.
The Conservative peer, who wore a grey suit, was released on unconditional bail to appear at Southwark Crown Court on March 30th.
He faces six charges of false accounting, relating to claims for overnight allowances from the House of Lords between 2006 and 2009, when records allegedly show he was in fact driven to his home near Chelmsford.
The sums he claimed were between £150 and £170.
He was suspended from the parliamentary Conservative Party and stood down as leader of Essex County Council.
Agencies